The Florida State football team hit the practice fields in full pads for eight periods of fundamental work and then moved to the stadium for an 18-period scrimmage Wednesday afternoon. In field goals before the scrimmage, Gary Cismesia was perfect on attempts from 20, 42, 42 and 47 yards. Graham Gano hit from 20, 42 and 47, but missed his last kick from 47 out. Punter Brent Moody has been serving as the new holder this spring.

The Seminoles featured the running game in the scrimmage and Lorenzo Booker led the way with 48 yards on five carries. Russell Ball ran six times for 34 yards while Antone Smith scored on a 32-yard run. On defense, Everette Brown had two tackles for loss and a sack for the defense while Derek Nicholson and Paul Griffin added two tackles for loss apiece. Alex Boston had a sack and a forced fumble. In goalline, the defense held the offense out of the endzone on five of seven tries. Brown had a tackle for loss with Jamaal Edwards and Pat Davis picking up the only two touchdowns in goalline.

"It is coming along. We're making progress, there's no doubt about it. Sometimes I wish we could run every down just to see what we could do. The running game has made progress and I want to keep doing it, but of course you can't do it without a line. I don't care what kind of backs you've got, if you're inferior up front, then you can forget it. But we're getting some good work there (offensive line) and the guys have stayed healthy and are getting better."

(on quarterback Drew Weatherford's efforts to cut down on his turnovers)

"I don't think he's thrown an interception this spring, has he? That's a good thing. There are so many things that you think of as negatives that are very important in football and one of them is not throwing interceptions. If he wasn't completing as many passes as he normally was, but wasn't throwing interceptions, you'd probably say he still improved. The old expression, `you don't win games, you lose them' is so true. You lose them by throwing interceptions, by fumbling, by taking penalties."

(on the running backs so far this spring)

"Antone [Smith] is doing as good as I'd hoped. (Lorenzo) Booker is doing as good as I'd hoped. (Jamaal) Edwards gives us a little more power, he's 220 pounds now. (Russell) Ball has been the surprise to me, because I see some talent there. Then of course we've got (Pat) Davis who's a walk-on but he's just as tough as is gets."

(on the transition he's had to make from junior college to Florida State)

"The transition has been big coming from a different program, a smaller school where you might have three or four hundred people in the town. Coming to a program like this, it's all about working hard; you work hard and things will pay off for you. You just have to learn the different schemes and plays with football and also school and then everything will work out perfect."

(on what it's like competing in practice everyday with the other talented defensive linemen at FSU)

"That competition makes you work harder, it makes you more determined. You know Odell's going to be on you because he's a great coach. It's all about competing and the best man will get the job so I'm just trying to work as hard as I can."